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Okinawa, Japan 10: Ocean Expo Park and Churaumi Aquarium
Written & Directed by James Knott

If you do not see a video box here, then this video can be seen on YouTube.

Ocean Expo Park is a great place to stop in Okinawa. It's home to Churaumi Aquarium - the second largest aquarium in the world. Seeing the whale shark swim by makes it worth the stop just by itself.

OKINAWA, JAPAN

Okinawa is Japan's southernmost prefecture. Over 1.25 million people are scattered across nearly 150 islands.

Okinawa has a unique culture that goes back several hundred years to when it was an independent country known as the Ryukyu Kingdom. This kingdom was known to trade frequently with China and as a result adopted much more from the Chinese than the rest of Japan. Map of Okinawa, Japan

The main island, Okinawa-honto, is surrounded by vivid, bright blue ocean and coral reefs. It is densely populated and urbanized in the south, while the the mountainous northern part of the island consists of just a few fishing villages and dense forests.

The beautiful, sub-tropical setting combined with historical roots that are more intertwined with China than Japan, have created a wonderful culture that is distinctly Okinawan.

TRANSCRIPT
Okinawa, Japan 10: Ocean Expo Park and Churaumi Aquarium

The most popular destination on the Motobu Peninsula has to be Okinawa's
Ocean Expo Park. This park was built to commemorate the 1975 International
Ocean Exposition.

The great thing about this place is that there is something for everyone,
so we drag the whole family there to see what the park has to offer.

Ocean Expo Park is located on the western edge of the peninsula with a great
view of Ie-jima. there are acres of lush gardens with large floral statues
giving the area a fun atmosphere. Reefs run parallel to the shore and large
chunks of coral wash up on the beaches.

There is a small village of traditional houses that are great for learning
about the history of the architecture on the island. Buildings from many
different eras are represented and are authentically detailed from the pots
in the kitchen to the shrines in the living areas.

The park holds free water shows with whales flying through the air and
splashing the crowd. There are also a handful of free marine exhibits
featuring manatees, turtles, dolphins and more.

The main attraction - perched high above the ocean, is Churaumi Aquarium
billed as the second largest aquarium in the world. There is a fee to enter
and large crowds willingly pay it to view the thousands of fish, marine
mammals and other types of aquatic life.

If these sharks aren't big enough for you then you can venture to the
aquarium's largest tank to see the largest shark in the world - the whale
shark.

This tank holds almost 2 million gallons of water and features huge schools
of fish, gigantic manta rays and other interesting creatures. the main
viewing window is almost 23 inches thick and dwarfs it's audience.

What a great way to appreciate a world so much different than our own.

The gardens, free shows, free exhibits, traditional houses, ocean views,
beaches, Churaumi Aquarium and much more add up to make Ocean Expo Park the
must-see stop on Okinawa's Motobu Peninsula.